Archive for the 'Darreus Rogers' Tag Under 'USC' Category

We’ve revealed our picks for the 15 Most Valuable Trojans of 2015. Linebacker Su’a Cravens landed at No. 1, and you can read all about him here. The post also has links to the other 14 candidates in our exclusive countdown.

Which USC players barely missed the cut? Below is a brief look at five veterans I strongly considered for the top 15. Again, no freshmen. The players are listed in alphabetical order.

OT ZACH BANNER

Banner was inconsistent at times during his first year as a starter, but his size (6-9, 360) and potential are obvious. USC’s offensive-line depth is better than it has been in years, but it’s better inside than at the tackle spots. There just aren’t that many long, natural tackles on this roster. That enhances Banner’s value.

Continuing our countdown of the 15 most valuable USC football players of 2015.

Two reminders before we get to the next Trojan on the list:

1. The primary factors in determining value include projected role and production; depth at an MVP candidate’s position; the player’s overall talent and expected impact on the success of the team; and intangible traits such as leadership and toughness.

2. Incoming freshmen and transfers were not considered. Although several might emerge as extremely valuable pieces, as was the case last season, it’s impossible to predict how impactful they’ll be in Year 1. Besides, this exercise is subjective enough already.

For the better part of the first 14 USC spring practices, cornerback Kevon Seymour got the best of receiver JuJu Smith. The two went head to head a bunch. Smith won some battles. Seymour won more.

The 15th practice was a different story.

Smith had a breakout performance in the spring game Saturday, catching nine passes for 152 yards and a touchdown. More than half of those yards came on two long, contested catches against his spring nemesis, Seymour.

The first was a desperation 36-yard completion from Cody Kessler on fourth-and-7. Kessler stepped up in the pocket, and Smith got just far enough behind Seymour to make a tumbling catch near the right sideline at the 1-yard line.

The second was a beautiful, 41-yard, back-shoulder ball from Max Browne. Although Kessler got the majority of the first-team reps during spring practice, it’s clear that Browne and Smith are on the same wavelength. Here’s what they had to say about that play:

Darreus Rogers has been the steadiest USC wide receiver this spring – consistent, reliable and trustworthy.

Those adjectives didn’t necessarily apply earlier in Rogers’ college career.

Rogers was up and down as a sophomore, as two noteworthy plays illustrated. At the end of the first half against Oregon State in late October, Rogers scored a touchdown on a Hail Mary to spark a 35-10 USC victory. A month later, against Utah, Rogers dropped a swing pass on the second play from scrimmage. It turned out to be a lateral that the Utes recovered and returned for a touchdown in a game they won by three points.

Now that he’s a junior – and the most experienced player in the Trojans’ receiving corps – Rogers knows he can’t afford to make those types of mistakes.

“If I want to do big things, it’s starting now,” Rogers said Saturday. “This year is going to make me or break me. I’m coming in focused.”

Here's video of USC coach Steve Sarkisian meeting with the media after Saturday's practice at the Coliseum. Topics include the secondary's improved confidence, Su'a Cravens' production and enhanced effort, Darreus Rogers' skill set, how Sarkisian and strength coach Ivan Lewis are in lockstep and the quarterbacks making plays down the field.

With the March 3 start of spring practice fast approaching, it’s time to examine USC’s depth chart on a position-by-position basis. I won’t predict the exact order, but I will break up each position into tiers and discuss some key issues.

WIDE RECEIVERS

PROJECTED STARTERS

JuJu Smith, sophomore

Darreus Rogers, junior

Steven Mitchell, redshirt sophomore

ALSO IN THE ROTATION

Ajene Harris, sophomore

De’Quan Hampton, junior

Isaac Whitney, junior

BIG-PLAY SPECIALIST

Adoree' Jackson, sophomore

IN THE MIX?

Dominic Davis, freshman

Ykili Ross, freshman

Isaiah Langley, freshman

SPRING STORYLINES

The composition of this group has changed a lot in a short time. Nelson Agholor and George Farmer – the Trojans’ No. 1 and No. 4 pass catchers last season – are preparing for the NFL draft. Smith, on the heels of a standout freshman year, is poised to take the baton from Agholor. But it takes time to build the type of chemistry Agholor had with Cody Kessler, and that’s what the senior quarterback and Smith will work on this spring (and summer). Rogers had an inconsistent sophomore season, and it’ll be interesting to see if he’s ready to step into a bigger role – or if Mitchell, who showed flashes over the second half of the season, will become the No. 2 option behind Smith. JC transfer Whitney, who enrolled in January, will get plenty of reps, a boon for a player USC is counting on to contribute immediately. Spring offers Harris a chance to re-establish himself in the rotation after injuries derailed a once-promising freshman season.

CAMP QUESTIONS

Will Smith smoothly transition into the go-to-guy role as Agholor and Marqise Lee did before him? Will Rogers and Mitchell hold off challenges from the newcomers? Will Whitney and Hampton, another JC transfer, prove ready to step in right away? Will any of the three freshmen with multi-position designations – RB-WR Davis, DB-WR Ross and DB-WR Langley – cross over and shake up the depth chart?

THE ADOREE’ JACKSON ADDENDUM

As one of my astute Twitter followers noted, I forget about Jackson when I first published this. As defenses learned last season, that’s a mistake. Jackson showed just how explosive he could be as a multipurpose freshman in 2014, returning two kickoffs for touchdowns and turning a short pass into a 71-yard TD reception in the Holiday Bowl. Coach Steve Sarkisian said he’d like to get Jackson, USC’s top cornerback, even more touches on offense this season. Expect the package to expand and Jackson’s catch total of 10 to double.

With the departures of Nelson Agholor and George Farmer, Darreus Rogers is now the elder statesman among USC wide receivers. In this exclusive interview after Tuesday's players-only workout, Rogers discusses his role, how he can become better and, of course, JuJu Smith's new hairstyle.